Unless one side or the other backs down within the next week or so, the prospect of a full scale war, probably with Syria, lomms very large indeed. Both sides are so deeply mired in blood and blame it no longer matters who did what.

Only the Israelis can back down. Their armed forces can be controlled, whilst the irregular forces in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon cannot. There needs to be the strength of will to order the army not to respond to provocation. One side hides its millitary targets in the midst of civilains, and the others use collective punishment. Unless this bloodbath is stopped soon, these war crimes will not be rememberd, except as footnotes to far more terrible things.


The real irony is that if Ariel Sharon, the blood soaked monster so many round here love to hate was stil in charge, the Israeli people would not have demanded action from him when the first soldier was kidnapped, and this last month would have been very different. The huge and diproportionate response was mainly the result of a new goverment wanting to re-assure its people that it took national security seriously. What a mess.....